In our How to Respond series, Pastor Nathanael Mayhew addresses a
question about why Christians are always judging others. First we need to make a distinction between making a judgment and being arrogant. Everyone makes judgments. That doesn't mean that everyone is arrogant. Second righteous judgment is necessary to society. What would happen if police officers and judges did not try to judge with righteous judgment? Chaos would result. People have misquoted Jesus' words: "Judge not, lest you be judged" as proof that Christians are wrong to judge others. But the context of that passage (Matthew 7:1-5) demonstrates that Jesus says that we can and SHOULD judge, but we should do so in a correct way. We judge on God's standard of right and wrong and holding ourselves to the same standard before we apply it to others. We have all failed and need the forgiveness God offers us in Christ. For Christians it isn't about being better than others, it is about pointing people to Jesus, the one and only solution to the problem of our sin. Christians should strive to do this in love and not in arrogance.